The Community Medicine and Pharmacology departments at four medical colleges
in Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi conducted a survey in November
1992 to assess drug use patterns following the enactment of Bangladesh’s
new national drug policy in June 1992. Ten thana health centers (THCs) and ten
union sub centres (USCs) were monitored by each department, totaling eighty
facilities nationwide. Data was collected from registers and by observation.
Researchers found consultation time in both THCs and USCs was low, averaging
only 54 seconds. Only 37% of patients were adequately examined and 41% received
adequate treatment as defined by standard guidelines. Findings on drug
prescription practices were better, showing that a satisfactory number of drugs
were prescribed to each patient, 78% of drugs prescribed were generics, and 85%
of drugs prescribed were from the essential drugs list. However, for 12 drugs
under review, there was a low availability of only 54%. The average dispensing
time for prescription medications was 23 seconds. As a result of low
consultation and dispensing times, only 55% of patients knew how and when to
take their prescribed medications. Due to the large scope of the study, these
results accurately reflect national patterns of drug use in Bangladesh.
Therefore, the results can be used to assess the effectiveness of the new
national drug policy and to determine what improvements must be made. (Abstract
by Flannery Bowman, 2013)